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Monday, 27 October 2014

John retired the following year. He and Ellis left Park End, Ormesby and returned to live again in Coatham, at 7 Trafalgar Terrace. He gave his law library to Middlesbrough Town Council in 1908.

These diaries probably survived because they were stored in the office. In the 1990s they were discovered again in old deed boxes in the offices of the successor firm in which John's grandson, great-granddaughter and great-grandson-in-law worked for most of the 20th century: Meek, Stubbs & Barnley of Albert Road, Middlesbrough.

John died on 6 December 1916 at Coatham.

All John's diaries & papers are, as of 10 November 2015, at the North Yorkshire County Record Office.

… I wired to the Navy League to order me a wreath from Harrods to be placed on the Nelson Column on Trafalgar Day and I sent a card to attach to it as follows: “In loving memory of Midshipman John Duncan Stubbs of HMS Aboukir who died doing his duty in the service of his country, from his Father & Mother” …

… Another cruiser torpedoed in the North Sea, HMS Hawke, & 500 lives lost. In the Navy list are given the names of several cadets on board. I only hope the poor boys were taken off as a result of the Aboukir disaster but I am afraid it will not be so as there are not enough midshipmen to man all the ships in commission without the cadets. The new Dartmouth Coll Captain writes “expressing the sympathy of the College & Navy in his sad but honourable end” & saying that his sea chest is at Chatham, not lost on the ship as I expected.

Tuesday, 14 October 2014

… I received a telegram from Averil [his sister-in-law] that a boy’s body had been found at Karright [?] and she was sending the papers by express post. I received the papers about 4.10 being a letter from the British Vice Consul at Ymuiden with particulars of the body and a photo. The particulars were of a fair haired, blue eyed, thin boy aged about 17. The face I could not identify. The body was dressed in trousers and a pyjama jacket the hands looked like Duncan’s. I telegraphed the Vice Consul asking him to look for identification marks especially the teeth and to take a cast if possible. I also wrote him fully …

Friday, 10 October 2014

Martin Eggermont kindly sent me this information on George Bowes-Wilson:

George was born on 26 October 1873.

He was educated at Clifton and New College, Oxford, and qualified as a Solicitor in April 1902. His offices were at 28 Albert Road, Middlesbrough.

In 1906 he was elected a Councillor for the Exchange Ward and having been re-elected a number of times, was still in post at the time of his death. During the intervening years he had served on many committees such as Sanitary, Sanatorium Finance, Streets, General Purposes, Fire Brigade and Cemeteries.

On 29 September 1908 he married Nora Dulcie Linney at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate. She was aged twenty-three, the only child of the late Herbert Linney.

George was a Freemason and is recorded in the Ferrum Lodge documents as living at 6 Lothian Road, Middlesbrough when he was proposed for membership; his proposer was W Bro Henry Winterschladen, seconded by W Bro S.F. Thompson, and his initiation in Ferrum Lodge was on 8 March 1911.

George was later employed in the Treasurer’s Department of the Town Hall, was a representative for Middlesbrough on the North Riding Territorial Association and a Cleveland Unionist Agent.

Among his many hobbies and interests were golf and cricket and it is known that he played the latter game for Hutton Rudby, being their triumphant captain in the 1905 and 1906 Cleveland and Teesside Cup competitions.

In July 1914 a new bowling green in Albert Park was opened by Mrs H.W.F. Bolckow; George was the Chairman of the Parks Committee. At this time he lived at 80 Lothian Road.

He was also a member of the New Oxford, Cambridge and Cleveland Clubs.

George was a member of the Territorial Forces. He was promoted Captain on 1 March 1913 and fought with the 1st/4th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, Yorkshire Regiment (TF), more familiarly known as The Green Howards.

A letter written by George to Preston Kitchen, Middlesbrough’s Town Clerk and a fellow Freemason (1917 WM Erimus Lodge) was printed in the Daily Gazette on 10 May 1915.

“You will now know our battalion has been in the forefront of the Ypres battle and how badly we suffered – one hundred odd men and five officers killed.
The battalion has been specially complimented by the General on the splendid way it fought in its first engagement. [This is a possible reference to the Yorkshire Regiment because of their bravery and fighting stance, later being dubbed the Yorkshire Ghurkhas.]
Middlesbrough can be proud of her sons. Not a man in my company hesitated. Tell the people at home this war is by no means over. England will require every man she has before German Militarism can be crushed – and crushed it must be – otherwise all the lives we have lost will be in vain.
So far thank God, I am well. We are now in the thick of it and our losses are growing. Trench life is unpleasant but what a pleasure it is to receive letters from friends. I have not washed or had my boots off for ten days now so you can imagine what I feel like.
You ask me if you can do anything to help. Yes, send me an occasional Gazette, some chocolate and a nice plum cake if you find time.”

Monday, 6 October 2014

Tuesday 6 Oct … I had a letter from Mr Herbert Samuel expressing his sympathy & saying that the private secretary to the First [Sea] Lord had written that Duncan “was quite one of the best boys that ever came before the Selection Committee for Osborne & his progress at the two Colleges had only confirmed the good opinion we had formed of him.” That is about the highest praise that could have been given & I know it was thoroughly deserved. After tea Madge & K & I went for a walk …

Herbert Samuel was Member of Parliament for the Cleveland division of Yorkshire.

Monday 5 Octr… After tea Madge K & I had a walk & I went down to 84 St Georges Terr after dinner as usual. The great question for us at the moment is billets. Madge & K are likely to go to Alnmouth for a fortnight, Madge is generally looking happier now, though the awful sense of what we have lost comes to her very forceably sometimes as it does to me …